A new way to trade bitcoin and digital currencies is now in the books. SparkSwap is the first crypto exchange to be built on the Lightning Network. It allows users to trade both bitcoin and altcoins in seconds without depositing assets with a third party.

In a blog post, SparkSwap founder Trey Griffith said, “You can trade between different blockchains (currently Bitcoin and Litecoin, with others coming soon), with trades settling in about a second — a transaction time comparable to some of the leading centralized cryptocurrency exchanges. Read more...

This November, cryptocurrency users will be introduced to Bakkt, a new company designed to give millions of retail merchants the chance to buy, sell and trade digital currencies — and even buy a cup of coffee. The company is being launched by Atlanta-based Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and a leading operator of clearinghouses, global exchanges, and data and listing services.

Bakkt CEO Kelly Loeffler explained, “Bakkt is designed to serve as a scalable on-ramp for institutional, merchant and consumer participation in digital assets by promoting greater efficiency, security and utility. We are collaborating to build an open platform that helps unlock the transformative potential of digital assets across global markets and commerce.” Read more...

Bitcoin payment startup Abra has announced the addition of Visa and Mastercard payment options for buying bitcoin on its platform. The new payment option is in partnership with fintech company Simplex, per the company’s blog post.

Up until today, users who wanted to purchase cryptocurrencies were limited to a few options that included bank deposits and wire transfers. In addition to these, the company also offers a means of buying altcoins using either bitcoin or litecoin for countries where bank wires and deposit options are unavailable. Read more...

DNotes Global, Inc. announced on Friday that an experimental Proof of Concept for its DNotes Pay automated online payment tool is now available for download and testing. The new payment system is a streamlined, simplified, and user-friendly tool that provides automatic payment, confirmation, and delivery of digital products.

“DNotes Pay is a next-generation online payment solution that brings the power of convenient, low-cost merchant transactions to everyone around the world,” according to DNotes Global co-founder and CEO Alan Yong. “Until now, individual sellers have struggled to manage the expense and complications involved with traditional merchant payment systems. DNotes Pay is designed to offer a more inclusive solution and greater self-empowerment and opportunity for people everywhere in the world.”Read more...

About sixteen major cryptocurrency exchanges, payment processors and digital wallet providers have joined the EU’s law enforcement agency for an event about preventing money laundering. The three-day conference on digital currencies and cyber crime began on Tuesday in the Hague.

“Tracing and Attribution”

The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), formerly known as the European Police Office and Drugs Unit, said that the event would primarily be about the “tracing and attribution” of cryptocurrencies. Attendees will also focus on methods to thwart services for hiding the source of funds, presumably such as coin mixers. Besides the representatives of the crypto companies and Europol, the event also includes people from the authorities of a number of European countries. Read more...

Media rights management firm Dot Blockchain Media Inc. (dotBC) and Cardstack framework creator Cardstack Syndicate Inc. have announced a partnership to bring transparency and clarity to the highly intricate data rights and payment processes afflicting the media and music industries, according to a p…

TapJets, a private jet instant booking platform, has added Litecoin ($ LTC) as an approved form of payment, giving customers another instant payment option to augment traditional credit card payments and bank transfers. This new offering allows TapJets’ customers to instantly book private flights from their smartphones and head to the airport while the blockchain transaction is completed in the background.

Eugene Kesselman, CEO of TapJets, said: “We are excited to add Litecoin to the Bitcoin and Ethereum payment options we already accept. The Litecoin community is strong, and we are happy to work with the Litecoin Foundation to welcome them to our platform. Making it easier to use cryptocurrency in more places is what separates the leaders from followers. This is precisely what the #PayWithLitecoin movement is all about.” Read more...

ICO platform LEEKICO has announced its support of SoPay, a project aiming to develop a fast, private and easy-to-use digital currency payment platform, with its token sale. The sale will start on the 29th of May, 2018, and end on the 3rd of June, 2018 and is managed on the LEEKICO platform with the goal to collect a total of ETH 10,000. Read more...

Bitcoin payroll and invoicing platform Bitwage, with operations in the U.S and the U.K., has launched two new products: Inwage, an advisory firm that creates and deploys solutions for launching initial coin offerings (ICOs); and Ether Inputs, an invoicing platform that allows ICO companies to pay employees in their preferred currency.

“The world of cryptocurrency is ever changing. While we strongly believe that Bitcoin is the greatest store of value ever seen, we also recognize the value of new forms of digitized assets,” said Jonathan Chester, president of Bitwage and Inwage, in a statement. “With our new ICO and Ethereum solutions, we are excited to help move this part of the industry forward.” Read more...